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1914: Actionchurch,
York, Pennsylvania, USA

Mystery Worshipper:
PolkaPierogie.The church:
Actionchurch, York, Pennsylvania, USA.Denomination:
Independent.The building:
The church meets at Club 19, a small all-ages nightclub on Duke
Street. One enters through a pair of glass doors at the end
of a cinderblock-walled passageway. The passageway is covered
by a large Club 19 sign, under which is a smaller sign reading
"Welcome to Actionchurch." Inside, there are rows
of metal folding chairs, plus some small round tables set up
on the floor, with metal folding chairs around them. You half
expect a cocktail waitress to come out to take your order. There
is also a stage, with all the lighting fixtures and sound equipment
associated with rock concerts. I understand that Actionchurch
is currently looking for other venues.The church:
The founders of Actionchurch, Don and Michele Record, began
promoting their idea of "church for people who don't like church"
in 2007. By autumn of that year, they were able to gather a
small group of like-minded worshipers at, of all places, a night
club. Word spread with the help of a local radio station, and
Actionchurch soon moved to its present venue. They hold fast
to the two great commandments as put forth by Jesus: Love God
and love your neighbor. Recently, after a heavy snow storm,
the congregation used their worship time to help folks in the
neighborhood shovel snow.The neighborhood:
York is a small city in south central Pennsylvania founded in
1741 and named after its English counterpart. The city is home
to a large Harley-Davidson motorcycle factory. The popular candy
known as the York Peppermint Patty (which is now made by Hershey)
was for years made at a local facility. The downtown area is
noted for several well-preserved historical buildings. Club
19 is on the edge of the city limits in a "small town feel"
area of medium-sized single and duplex homes, along with a few
small factories and warehouses.The cast:
Don Record, pastor. A different band plays each week, with Delaware-based
Between Blue providing the music for this service.The date & time:
February 21, 2010, 11.00am.

What was the name of the service?
It doesn't have an official a name, but mostly just gets referred
to as "worship" or "Actionchurch Sunday."

How full was the building?
About half full.

Did anyone welcome you personally?
No, but that's my fault, as I was running late and arrived after
the band had already started playing.

Was your pew comfortable?
What you'd expect metal folding chairs to feel like. There was
also a padded bench along one wall.

How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
I was running late and got there after things had already gotten
under way.

What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Don wanted me to say that today's message will be about loving
people."

What books did the congregation use during the
service?
None. Scriptural texts were projected; I believe these were
from the New Living Translation.

Did anything distract you?
This church does draw mostly a young, hip, attractive crowd,
so I did had to refocus my attention on the pastor from time
to time.

Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
Happy clappy, but without congregational singing. A different
band plays each week. The music is usually (though not always)
Christian alt-rock. Between Blue describes themselves as "alternative/indie"
and includes the following in their promotional literature:
"We only wish to serve our God and, just as importantly,
you. We don't want this to be a show. This a ministry experience...
We want to simply share the joy we have that comes with our
music. We would call it the joy of Christ, but you can just
call it joy and we'll be okay with that."

Exactly how long was the
sermon?
35 minutes.

On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
7  Pastor Don's style was conversational. He focused on
one or two main points and gave action steps to practice during
the week.

In a nutshell, what was
the sermon about?
The sermon was the second part of a series called "With All
My Heart," further described as "loving God, loving people,
and turning the whole world upside down." This week's message
was based on Acts 2:42-47 (the number of believers grew as they
gave to the needy, met, and broke bread) and Acts 6:1-7 (the
apostles chose those who would minister to the Grecian Jews).
The pastor talked about the inevitability of conflict, even
with people we love, and the necessity of resolving those conflicts
positively and compassionately. Our relationship with our brothers
and sisters in Christ is permanent and requires our emotional
commitment. We should be buyers, not renters.

Which part of the service
was like being in heaven?
The sermon was insightful and practical, the prayer was short and punchy, and the music rocked.

And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
Having grown up in a liturgical church, I found it hard at first
to adjust to the lack of congregational singing and participation.
The non-traditional nature of this service is probably a weakness
as well as a strength.

What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
People started taking down the chairs and tables and cleaning up the club.

How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
Dunkin Donuts and coffee.

How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
7  I felt kind of passive throughout the service. I think
I'd be more comfortable with a greater degree of participation
by those attending.

Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes, it did. Pastor Don emphasizes the weekly service as preparation for serving God by serving people.

What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The concept of being buyers rather than renters.

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